


The Many Things to Like About Changgu

by Biscuit Lion (cookiethelion)



Category: Pentagon (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Friends With Benefits To Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, huli jing!Yan An, implied Jinho/Hongseok if you really squint, vampire!Changgu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:21:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22921693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cookiethelion/pseuds/Biscuit%20Lion
Summary: What Yan An had wasn’t a crush on Changgu—or at least, that was what he kept telling himself. He wasn’t supposed to be attracted to another supernatural being who also had an expected lifespan of 1,000 years. He was supposed to be attracted to humans only. He was supposed to seduce them only.
Relationships: Ko Shinwon/Lee Hwitaek | Hui, Yan An/Yeo Changgu | Yeo One
Comments: 4
Kudos: 75





	The Many Things to Like About Changgu

**Author's Note:**

> The downside concept photos for Universe: The Black Hall just screamed "vampire AU" at me, so I had to write something based on the pics :) I've always wanted to write huli jing!Yan An as well, so this happened. Enjoy!

Changgu returned to the flat earlier than Yan An had been anticipating; and when Yan An met him in the hallway, the first thing he noticed was the blood on Changgu’s nose and the corner of his mouth, and the tears pooling in his eyes.

“Changgu-ya, what happened?” said Yan An.

Changgu didn’t answer. Yan An watched him kicked his shoes off by the doorway, and then he sat down with his back to the wall and put his hands over his face, his knees now tucked up to his chest. Yan An kneeled down in front of him and tried to prise Changgu’s hands away with his tails, but his flatmate wouldn’t budge.

“Am I a shit vampire?” said Changgu.

“No. _No_ , you’re not.” Yan An stood up. “I’ll get you some blood.”

He ran into their kitchen, heading straight for the fridge. He flung the door open and crouched down. They stored all the pig’s blood on the bottom shelf of the fridge, inside small disposable plastic water bottles that they’d saved up over the years. Their human friends rarely came over, but as a precaution, they disguised the bottles behind bags full of whatever vegetables they got on the cheap from the supermarket. At the moment, it was stuffed with carrots; and Yan An peeked into the bag as he grabbed one of the bottles. He frowned at the half-rotting state of the vegetables. They were going to have to throw them out soon, he reckoned, as he repositioned the bag.

Yan An ran out of the kitchen to discover Changgu had gone; and a sprint down the hallway lead him to the living room, where he found Changgu lying on the sofa. He had dried his eyes, but he was so pale that Yan An just thrust the bottle into his open hands. He sat down on the sofa as Changgu sat up, unscrewed the cap, and swallowed the contents in one gulp.

“Better?” said Yan An. Changgu nodded, and Yan An took it as his cue to shuffle closer to the vampire. He ran a tail over Changgu’s face to clean up the blood stains and heal his nose, and then wrapped the same tail lightly around Changgu’s wrist and draped the tip into the palm of his hand. “What happened?”

“I went to Prism,” said Changgu, “and tried to seduce this really cute guy at the bar. I didn’t realise he had some kind of divine protection until it was too late.”

Yan An frowned. “What kind of protection?”

“I don’t know.” Changgu flung his hand free, and covered his forehead with his arm. “It’s not fair.”

“Changgu-ya—”

“How does Hwitaek-ie get to meet his boyfriend at Prism, and I get walloped in the face? I converted him, _I’m_ his seonbae, I taught him everything—and the last human I seduced was two years ago. I’m pathetic.”

“No, you’re not.” Yan An moved up until his body was pressed up against Changgu’s, and he wrapped two of his tails around his waist, and placed an arm around his shoulders. Changgu rested his head on his shoulder. “If you really want to bite a human, maybe you should do what your hoobaes do nowadays.”

Yan An could picture Changgu reacting by crinkling his nose in disgust.

“No,” said Changgu, “where’s the craft in that? Where’s the skill in shoving someone up against the wall and biting them like that? Anyway, if you terrify a human like that, their blood tastes horrible.” Changgu held his arm out, and Yan An lowered another tail to let Changgu run his hand through his fur.

“You don’t have to keep doing this. You said you like pig’s blood.”

“I miss human blood.”

When they had started living together four years ago, Yan An had been surprised to discover that Changgu drank animal blood. That was when he learned that because of all the conflicts that had happened in the last century, all vampires had adapted to living off animal blood to survive; the vampires that didn’t all died before 1945.

“I wish I had nine tails like you,” continued Changgu. “Your powers would make things so much easier.”

Yan An snorted. “It’s not that much of a blessing,” he said. “Humans keep slamming the door on my tails that they can’t see, I’ve had people stepping on them, and I’ve got to sleep a certain way or everything gets tangled up overnight. You know how long it takes for me to shower properly.”

“Yeah, but all you huli jings need to do is wrap your tail around someone, and you’ve pulled.”

Yan An brought another tail down to stroke Changgu’s cheek. He smiled as Changgu began to rub his face against his fur, writhing like a kitten wanting more.

“In that case, I’m just as bad as you.” Yan An slipped his tail under Changgu’s jaw to curl around his neck. “I haven’t seduced anyone for two years either.” Not since you felt my powers for the first time, he wanted to add.

Changgu looked up, and Yan An caught his eye. He thought he could sense the air change, like he’d just reminded Changgu of something he’d forgotten about.

“You know what I like,” was all Changgu said, as he sat up straight and shrugged Yan An’s arm off him.

“You want to do this now?” said Yan An.

“I want you to make me feel better.”

Yan An stared at Changgu’s determined face. The rational side of him was telling him that he shouldn’t indulge him, not after what had just happened at Prism. Then again, it had been almost four months since their last time, and he really wanted to see Changgu wrapped in his tails, all naked and flustered, once again. Just the thought alone was enough to make him hard.

Yan An kept one tail around Changgu’s waist, and he slipped the other in-between his legs, gently pushing them apart at his thighs. The tail around his neck tightened a little, and he wrapped the remaining tails around his torso, before he began to channel his powers. His tails tingled and glowed a little, and he watched Changgu shut his eyes as his head lolled backwards. He could feel the vampire’s entire body slacken for a moment—and then he raised his head again, his eyes now full of desire as he cupped both hands on Yan An’s cheeks and drew him into a kiss.

There were many things about Changgu that Yan An really liked. He liked how Changgu’s lips fitted perfectly on his every time, and how every kiss—no matter how long or short—left him lightheaded and short of breath and dying for the next kiss. He liked the smile on Changgu’s face when he carried him, fireman style and still wrapped up in his tails, into his bedroom and onto his bed. Yan An was proud of how he’d learnt to undo any buttons with his tails, making it easier for him to strip his flatmate as fast as possible, and how Changgu responded with just as much eagerness.

Yan An liked how his breathing synced with Changgu’s, when their bodies were pressed up against each other, and how Changgu couldn’t seem to get enough of kissing him all over his mouth and neck. He liked how pretty Changgu looked underneath him, and how his eyelids fluttered with every thrust he made inside him. He wanted to hear Changgu moan at him, beg him to go faster, whimper that he was close to coming as he hooked his legs around his waist. He liked how Changgu always fell asleep wrapped in his arms and tails, and how his skin tone complimented his golden furs so well he looked almost otherworldly.

Yan An just wished he could experience all this without using his powers. He knew how his powers worked. What Changgu saw was not Yan An, but whoever it was that he considered attractive. Yan An had never dared ask; he knew he wouldn’t be able to cope if he knew the answer.

Daylight didn’t really affect Changgu anymore, only heatwaves, but he still had a pair of blackout curtains in his room, just in case. Even though the room was dark when Yan An woke up, he knew on instinct that it was drawing close to three o’clock. He looked down at Changgu, who was still sleeping, and he pulled him in just that bit closer to kiss his nape, stirring him awake.

“Good afternoon,” said Yan An, as he loosened his grip again.

Changgu groaned. “Already?” he said, his voice hoarse from being awoken.

“It’s almost three.”

“Are you sure?” said Changgu, and Yan An giggled at how cute he sounded.

“I’m positive,” said Yan An, and he planted another kiss on Changgu’s shoulder. “I’ve been thinking, I should go to Prism tonight. I want to see that cute guy from last night.”

Changgu sat up straightaway, and Yan An’s tails slid off his torso and landed in a pile in his lap. He looked alert, but his seriousness was countered by hair sticking up in all directions; and Yan An suppressed his giggles as he lifted one tail to smooth his hair again.

“Don’t go,” said Changgu.

“As long as we share a flat, nobody gets away with beating you up. Anyway, I want to see what sort of protection he’s got.”

“He was really strong. It wasn’t normal.”

“That’s why I have to meet him.” Yan An smirked as he rested his tail on Changgu’s shoulder. “I’ll be OK. I’ve dealt with worse things before.”

Changgu began to stroke his tail. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’ve already said I’ll be OK.” Yan An smiled, and he leaned in. Their lips met in a slow, chaste kiss; no tongues, no wandering hands, no climbing on top of each other with the promise of something more happening, just Yan An wanting it to last forever.

Changgu drew back first, and Yan An looked at him. All the romance in his eyes were gone. They were back to platonic flatmates once again.

“I guess we should get ready,” said Changgu, and he brushed the tails aside as he stood up. The moment he left, Yan An draped his tails over his own torso. They weren’t going to kiss again for months.

What Yan An had wasn’t a crush—or at least, that was what he kept telling himself. He wasn’t supposed to be attracted to another supernatural being who also had an expected lifespan of 1,000 years. He was supposed to be attracted to humans only. He was supposed to seduce them only. Changgu wasn’t supposed to fool around with another supernatural being either; he was supposed to seduce humans too, and drink their blood to stay alive. They shouldn’t have even started in the first place. Changgu had suggested it first, when he’d been high from feasting off four humans four nights in a row. Yan An shouldn’t have indulged him, but there had been something so irresistible about his eyes, and his lips had been so red from all the blood and so inviting, that the temptation to wrap him up in his furs overpowered him. That had been the last time Changgu had tasted human blood.

They arrived at Prism just after nine o’clock, both dressed in black suits with red lace on the lapels. Yan An led the way, with a tail wrapped around Changgu’s wrist. The queue into the club was long, but all Yan An had to do was flash a smile at the bouncers as he curled several tails around their wrists, and they were allowed in. He laughed as they entered the bar, which was dimly lit in hues of blues and purples; somehow, each generation of humans seemed to be dumber than the last.

The first thing Yan An spotted were two figures kissing in the corner. He recognised Hwitaek first from the white fishnet t-shirt he was wearing, even though his back was facing them. He was straddling Shinwon, and was very busy running his hands all over his body as they snogged like it was the end of the world. Yan An knew that Hwitaek only wore the fishnet shirt whenever it was his and Shinwon’s anniversary; they always spent the evening in Prism to re-enact their first meeting. Yan An drew nearer to them and coughed, startling them both.

“Yan An-ie!” said Hwitaek, as he looked over his shoulder. “Changgu-ya! You’re back.”

“I didn’t want to,” said Changgu. He raised his bound hand. “I thought your anniversary was yesterday?”

“It was, but we had to stop it to help you, so we’re doing it again.”

“You were here last night?” Yan An narrowed his eyes.

Shinwon nodded as he wrapped his arms around Hwitaek’s shoulders to pull him close to him again.

“He’s here,” he said, as he looked at Changgu, “he walked past us earlier.”

“The guy Changgu-ya tried to seduce?” said Yan An. The other vampires nodded. “Where is he?”

They looked around, and then Hwitaek freed an arm to point at the bar. A short, small man in a white ensemble was sitting on his own, with what looked like a glass of whisky in his hand. Yan An could understand why Changgu chose him; his face was adorable, despite the alert stare in his eyes. He watched the man lift his drink up, and then he spotted the red string tied around his wrist.

“You’re not going to talk to him, are you?” said Hwitaek.

“I am,” said Yan An. He grinned at the horrified looks on the vampires’ faces. “Just remember, no matter what happens, don’t come to my aid unless I ask you to.”

Shinwon shook his head. “Don’t go. He hit Changgu really hard.”

“So?” was all Yan An said before he freed his flatmate and walked over to the bar.

As Yan An approached, he realised the man had another string tied on his other wrist. He’d never seen anyone with two red strings before, so why didn’t Changgu mention it? Red strings always signified supernatural intervention; it was common knowledge. If a human had a red string, they were to be left alone at all costs. He knew there were three beings—definitely not angels, but not wicked enough to be demons either—roaming around South Korea to put red strings of fate on people’s wrists, and Yan An was curious who had given this human the two strings. He wanted to see the knots; if the string was tied sloppily, like a five-year-old trying to tie their shoelaces, then it was Wooseok’s doing; if it was finished in a neat, often perfect bow, then it was Hyunggu’s work; or if he saw a braid pattern, then it was Yuto.

“Hi,” said Yan An, smiling, as he sat down in front of the human. He watched how the shorter man started in his seat. His eyes were fixed on Yan An’s face, and there was no indication that he could see any of his tails.

“Hi,” said the man, in a cautious tone.

Yan An tilted his head at the glass. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m only staying for one drink.”

Yan An raised his eyebrows. “You don’t look like you are.”

“I need to be elsewhere soon.” The man remained unaffected, so Yan An flashed him the most charming smile he could muster.

“You can’t be in _that_ much of a hurry. I see you’ve been drinking for a while.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “Is there something you want to say to me?”

“I was just feeling lonely,” said Yan An, with a shrug. “I’m Yan An.”

“Jinho,” said the shorter man. He clutched the glass with both hands.

“Jinho? That’s a cute name.” Yan An glanced downwards as he noticed how Jinho released the glass straightaway. He still couldn’t see the knots.

“Talk to someone else.” Jinho slipped off the stool. He was looking over Yan An’s shoulders. “I need to leave.”

Yan An also stood up, and it was only then he realised how much he towered over Jinho. Somehow, he had managed to punch Changgu in the face. He doubted whether his outstretched arms were long enough to make contact with his chin.

“I’ll get out of your hair soon,” said Yan An. His smile was starting to fade, and he had his tails standing up, alert and ready. “I’ve got one more question left for you.”

“I don’t have the time—”

“Can I see your hands?”

Jinho faltered as his eyes widened. Yan An watched him curl up his left hand, and something seemed to be tugging the faintly glowing string. Whatever was connected to Jinho was getting ready.

“What—what do you want? Why do you want to see my hands?” said Jinho. He clenched his fist even tighter.

“I’m just curious.” Yan An looked at him seriously.

A flicker of nervousness crossed Jinho’s face before he swept his leg at Yan An’s, like he wanted to trip him up. The latter dodged just as he spotted Jinho swinging his left fist at him. He intercepted him by wrapping the nearest tail around his wrist, and forced his arm out to the side. The move unbalanced Jinho, and as he stumbled forward by a few steps, Yan An tightened his grip. Jinho placed his right hand on the tail—so, he knew he was a huli jing after all—and Yan An wrapped another tail around his right wrist to force his hands apart.

“Who gave you those red strings?” said Yan An, over Jinho’s yells.

“I don’t know,” said Jinho. He tried to kick Yan An, but his leg was halfway up in the air when Yan An snaked a tail around his lower thigh and knee, and then bound three more across Jinho’s torso before he lifted him up. The scream that followed was a lot higher pitched than Yan An had been expecting.

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“Why me?”

“You hurt my flatmate last night.” Yan An barred his teeth to snarl at Jinho. “If you want this to end well for you, tell me, who gave you those strings?”

“Hongseok-ah—” Jinho’s eyes were screwed shut as he continued to writhe and kick empty air. “Hongseok—help me—”

The room seemed to heat up straightaway, and people’s voices and the music began to fade out. Yan An looked around; Changgu, Hwitaek, and Shinwon were all cuddling each other, their wide, unblinking eyes and pale faces transfixed on the scene before them, but at least they were still moving. All the humans in the club had frozen still.

Yan An screeched when something hot stung the six tails he had wrapped around Jinho, and he leaped back as he let go. He winced as he looked down at the damage; the fur on each tail had been singed, and there were faint wafts of smoke coming from the two that had been binding Jinho’s wrists. Yan An shook his tail until all the smoke had vanished, and he tried not to groan out loud at the bald patches on his tails.

“You—” he started, but he stopped when he realised there was someone else hugging Jinho from behind. He too had red strings tied on each wrist, but his whole build was muscular, and he was taller. A chain connected his earrings with his lip ring, but what caught Yan An’s attention the most were the pair of scorched ox’s horns on his head. “You’re—”

“What’s wrong with everyone?” the horned person demanded.

“Who are you?” said Yan An. “Are you that Hongseok he was screaming for?”

“I am.”

Yan An looked up at the horns again, and he understood. Hongseok was a guardian of Diyu, working under Ox-Face. Jinho was working for him, helping him find the souls of people who had passed away but needed guidance to be led to Diyu. No wonder Changgu was so easily hurt, Yan An thought. His flatmate may have been a vampire for over 200 years, but he was a human by birth, and it was something he was never going to lose. He was always going to be weaker to supernatural elements, especially to creatures of hell like Hongseok.

“Jinho’s strong because of you,” said Yan An. “He’s been channelling your strength through the strings.” He looked at Hongseok’s face again, and noticed that he was paler than before.

“Look,” said Hongseok, as he seemed to clutch Jinho even tighter, “we don’t have time to deal with you, gumiho—”

“ _Excuse me_ , I am a huli jing.” Yan An’s tails stood upright.

“—we almost got our lost soul tonight but you scared her off. If you or your vampire friends bother my Jinho again without good reason, I’m not going to hold back next time.” It was Hongseok’s turn to snarl, and Jinho nodded along with him.

“We don’t want you bothering us either.” Yan An puffed his chest out. “But you didn’t need to break my friend’s bones just because he talked to Jinho.”

Hongseok opened his mouth, clearly intending to keep arguing, but then he stumbled backwards. Jinho started as he too leaned back, trying to stay on his feet. They looked at each other as Hongseok regained his balance, and Yan An noticed Jinho stroking the back of Hongseok’s hand with his thumb.

“Fine,” said Hongseok, sighing, “whatever. When I leave, all the humans here won’t remember anything. Don’t cause any more trouble.”

“I won’t. We’re leaving anyway,” said Yan An, and he walked over to the vampires.

He didn’t look behind him again but he could feel the room cooling down, and the chatter and music around them began to pick up again. Yan An wrapped a non-injured tail around Changgu’s arm, hoisting him up from his seat. Hwitaek and Shinwon were cuddling each other even tighter than before, and all three were still looking terrified.

“What was _that_ all about?” said Changgu. His voice was shaking.

“Don’t disturb Jinho if you see him again,” said Yan An. “He’s connected to a guardian of Diyu. None of you will ever stand a chance against him.”

Shinwon looked at Hwitaek. “Shall we take this back to our flat?” he said.

“Good idea,” said Hwitaek, and he sprung to his feet.

“We should leave as well, Changgu-ya,” said Yan An. This time, he didn’t need to drag Changgu with him, although he kept his tail around his arm as a precaution.

They left the club as a four, but Shinwon soon pulled Hwitaek down a barely lit side street, and all Yan An heard was a delighted yelp that was quickly muffled. In contrast, Yan An and Changgu barely spoke until they were in their flat. The moment they returned, Changgu scooped up Yan An’s tails and checked each one over.

“Is there anything I can do?” he said.

“It’ll grow back,” said Yan An. He put his shoes aside, and then shook himself free from Changgu.

“Does it sting or anything? I think we’ve got some antiseptic cream.”

“I’m fine. Why didn’t you tell me Jinho had red strings?”

“He’s got red strings?”

“He’s had them for ages. Jinho’s connected to Hongseok through the strings. It was Hongseok who hit you.”

“Are you serious?” Changgu’s frown looked genuine.

“Changgu-ya, what’s wrong? You’ve always been really good at spotting tiny details.”

The vampire’s face fell. “I told you I was shit.”

“You’re just having a rough time. That’s all.” Yan An placed two tails around Changgu’s neck. There were so many comforting things he should say, but he didn’t have the heart to say them. He wanted Changgu to keep failing, until he became disillusioned with all the nightclubs in town and he would prefer to stay in and drink pig’s blood and watch a human-made vampire movie that got all the basic facts about vampires wrong. Yet he knew that if Changgu really felt for him, he wouldn’t ask to be bewitched by him every time he wanted a shag. There was only one way this was going to end; Changgu would meet his next boyfriend at the next club, and he would have to return to seducing humans again.

Yan An started when Changgu shrugged to pinch a tail between his cheek and shoulders.

“Do you think so?” he said.

“Yes,” was all Yan An trusted himself to say. He watched Changgu shut his eyes, and he curled his tails just that bit tighter around his neck.

***

It took a week before Changgu felt confident enough to try and seduce a human again. Yan An felt compelled to help him, and he spent twenty minutes picking out which suit matched which pair of shiny shoes, before spending a further ten on his cufflinks and tie.

“Do I look OK?” Changgu asked, as Yan An stepped back to admire him.

“If I was human, I’d want you,” said Yan An, smiling. Changgu smiled back, and Yan An had to muster a lot of willpower to send him out of the door.

Since Yan An had the flat to himself for the next few hours, he settled on the sofa in the living room, nestled in the middle of all nine tails. Baby furs were beginning to grow in some places, which was a relief, but Yan An still hated how ugly six of his tails looked now. He’d encountered a few Diyu guardians before, and it was safe to say that they were all dicks. Hongseok was probably the worst one.

Yan An turned on Netflix to try and take his mind off things. He chose a Chinese film that looked promising from the summary, but ten minutes later, his mind began to drift. He tried not to picture Changgu entering a generic-looking club, mingling his way through the crowds as he hunted down his next victim—and yet, he couldn’t help but imagine Changgu dancing with a girl in a sequined dress and high stilettos, scanning her neck for the most prominent vein he could sink his fangs into. Just the thought made his chest tighten.

Yan An’s phone rang, and he briefly registered Hwitaek’s name as he answered.

“He’s sick,” were Hwitaek’s first words.

“Come again?” said Yan An.

“Changgu-ya—”

Yan An jumped to his feet. “What’s happened to him?”

“He bit someone, but he’s— _wait_ —he’s throwing it all up—”

“He’s what?” Yan An ran into his room and grabbed the nearest coat he could find.

“— _stop him_ —”

“Where are you?” Yan An almost dropped the phone as he put his shoes on.

“The Gorilla Underground—Yan An-ie—he’s gone—”

Hwitaek stayed on the phone as Yan An raced out of the apartment, even though the vampire was growing increasingly panicked. He was, at least, still able to recite events; Changgu had been dancing with another man when he bit him five minutes later, in the middle of the dance floor. He hadn’t taken enough blood to convert the man, but the bite mark hadn’t closed like it should have, and the wound had continued to bleed. Changgu had tried to flee the scene, but Hwitaek and Shinwon had stopped him—which was when he began to throw up the blood he’d just taken, before breaking free and running out of the club altogether.

It was decided that Hwitaek and Shinwon were better off staying in the club to help the victim, while Yan An looked for Changgu. He knew there were four main streets around the Gorilla Underground, and plenty more side streets and alleyways that connected them all together. It was a small miracle that they had a new moon tonight; he really didn’t know how Changgu was going to behave if a human found him with blood dripping down his mouth and clothes.

Yan An could see the brightly lit sign of the Gorilla Underground further down the road when he stopped, his attention seized by a faint yet constant stream of sobbing coming from the next alleyway. He poked his head in; sure enough, in the mostly dark alleyway, there was Changgu hunched over on his knees, his head and arms touching the ground as he seemed to alternate between crying and retching.

“You little shit—” said Yan An, as he ran in.

Changgu turned his head, and he fell over onto his side as he tried to scrambled to his feet. Before he could get up, Yan An was close enough to curl a tail around his ankle, and he dragged Changgu closer to him. He grabbed his shoulders and flipped him onto his back, before he straddled him and bound him with four tails around his arms. Changgu shouted and wriggled, but then stopped when Yan An slapped his jaw with a tail.

“What if I didn’t get to you on time?” said Yan An. “What if a human found you like this? Did you even think about that? Why didn’t you stay with Hwitaek and Shinwon?”

“I don’t understand,” said Changgu. He was looking up, but there was no focus in his eyes. “Why does it taste horrible?” He licked his bottom lip, but coughed and stuck his tongue out in disgust. It was the first time Yan An noticed the criss-crossed trails of blood running all the way down his chin, and the stains on his neck and shirt.

Yan An wanted to slap him again, but he held back; how the hell could Changgu think about blood now?

“What if someone called the police on you?” he continued. “What if they found out you’re a vampire? How am I supposed to get you out of police custody?”

“Yan An-ie.” Changgu shut his eyes, and more tears began to form at the corners. “It’s never tasted this bad before. Human blood tastes bad. I _hate_ it.”

Yan An hesitated. With a softer tone, he said, “Of course it’s going to taste bad. You hate biting humans without seducing them properly. Hwitaek said you’d only been with the guy for five minutes.”

“I’m a vampire, and I hate the taste of human blood.” Changgu laughed as the tears rolled down his cheeks. “What now? What the fuck do I do now?”

Yan An took his hands off Changgu as he raised up a little off his thighs, and he used his tails to lift his flatmate up into a sitting position before releasing him altogether. He looked so pitiful that all the rage in Yan An vanished, and he drew him into a hug as he wrapped all nine tails around his torso.

“The human side of you doesn’t want the blood,” said Yan An.

“I’m a vampire.” Changgu breathed in. “I’m not human anymore.”

“You were born as a human. It’s OK if you want to go back to it. It’s still a part of who you are.”

“Just tell me you think I’m a failure.”

“You’re not.”

“You always say that.”

“I mean it every time.”

Yan An felt Changgu pull away, and his instinct was to tighten his tails. He stopped when he realised that Changgu was only drawing back far enough to face him—and then he noticed that he was looking at him like he always did whenever he was bewitched. Yan An’s mouth fell open. He hadn’t used his powers, even though he was wrapping him up. Before he could say anything, Changgu lunged and shoved him against the wall as his mouth crashed into his, open and wet and eager.

Yan An kissed him back straightaway as he shut his eyes. He hooked his arms around Changgu’s shoulders as he felt the vampire’s hands ruffling his hair in all directions. He’d wondered so many times how it would feel to kiss Changgu like this, without using any magic, and he was certain his heart was about to stop beating.

Changgu started to plant sloppy kisses down Yan An’s chin and jaw, and all the way across his neck. Yan An gasped as he tilted his head back, and his breathing grew erratic as his skin seemed to feel like it was on fire with each touch. A purr rolled off his tongue as he felt Changgu move his head lower to kiss every inch of bare skin he could touch before the buttons of Yan An’s shirt stopped him.

Yan An looked down to see Changgu biting at the first button. He cupped both hands over Changgu’s cheeks to push him back, and then pulled him up to kiss him on the lips again. He had to be sure this was what he wanted; he wasn’t bewitched in any way; if Changgu realised and decided this was a mistake, Yan An would rather they ended things here, before it went any deeper.

Changgu kissed him back with so much eagerness that Yan An lifted up his right leg, and hooked it over his lower back. He bucked his hips as he pulled Changgu down closer, until their groins touched—and Changgu tossed his head back to moan out loud. Yan An had a second to grab his breath back as Changgu lowered himself to better grind against him—and then they were back to kissing each other, and moaning into each other’s mouths. Yan An threw his head back as Changgu ambushed his neck once more, and he shivered and gasped when he felt the tips of his fangs gliding over his skin—he wanted to just cock his head to one side and tell Changgu to bite him right there—

“Wait, wait,” said Yan An, as he seemed to suddenly realise that Changgu’s fast growing erection was now pressed against his own. “I don’t want to stay here.”

Changgu looked up. “I don’t know,” he said, his tone light and teasing, “it’s kind of sexy, doing it here, out in the open.” He nipped Yan An’s earlobe.

“We’re not foxes.”

“ _I’m_ not.”

Yan An laughed. “Let’s go,” he said, and he staggered to his feet.

Their flat was fifteen minutes away, but the journey seemed longer. It would have helped if Yan An hadn’t kept his furs or hands on Changgu all the way, or if they hadn’t kept kissing and sneaking little touches, or even stopped several times to insist that they should just get on with it there in the open, since the streets were deserted anyway. They made it back to their flat fully clothed—but they were both naked by the time they entered Yan An’s room. All their clothes lay outside in a messy trail.

Yan An let Changgu throw him onto his own bed, and he was sure he stopped breathing when he saw Changgu’s face looking down on him as he climbed on top. He kept his tails sprawled all over the mattress as Changgu kissed him again. Yan An had never realised just how perfect their lips matched each other; it was another thing to like about Changgu. He liked how gently yet steadily Changgu worked him up, until he forgot all the languages he knew and was reduced to whining and purring and shrieking like a fox. He liked how tenderly Changgu kissed him afterwards. He liked how Changgu didn’t resist when Yan An flipped him over onto his back and straddled his hips, desperate to devour him like he’d always done.

Except, this time, Yan An knew that Changgu was seeing him as he was. No illusions, nothing to make him look prettier or like anyone else altogether. He was going to take the chance when he had it.

***

Yan An awoke first as usual, with his arms and tails wrapped around Changgu. He knew that, in the afternoon, his room would be brighter than what Changgu was accustomed to in his room, so he had made sure to sleep with his back to the window to give the vampire as much shade as possible.

“Time to get up,” said Yan An, and he kissed his flatmate’s shoulder.

Changgu grumbled as he turned around, and they made bleary eye contact. Yan An raised one of his tails up to shield his eyes, and Changgu smiled.

“I’m alright,” he said, as he leaned in, “but thank you.” Their lips met, and Yan An didn’t realise he had snaked a tail around Changgu’s wrist until they broke apart.

“Did you do something different last night?” said Changgu.

Yan An frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Your powers didn’t feel the same last night. It felt…” Changgu hesitated as he tried to find the right words; and Yan An looked down as he felt his heart drop. He thought he’d channelled his powers. That was the only reason he’d slept with him again, because he’d thought they were going through the usual procedure.

“Special?” Yan An offered, when the silence was growing too long for him to bear. He looked up when Changgu placed his hands over his.

“Yeah, it felt special.”

Yan An couldn’t take his eyes off how wide Changgu’s smile was, or how well it highlighted his perfect set of teeth. He kissed him gently, and again, and once more.

“You’re not usually like this,” said Changgu, as he squeezed Yan An’s hand. He was still smiling, but his cheeks seemed rosier than before.

“It must be from last night.”

They giggled together, and Yan An leaned in again until their foreheads touched. He lifted up a tail so the tip stroked Changgu’s nape, and the latter tilted his head back as he wriggled a little under the touch. Yan An squeezed his hand back as he leaned in for a quick peck on the lips, his eyes closed. He half-opened them when he felt Changgu get up off the bed, and he looked up to see him stretch his free arm.

“I should shower,” said Changgu. He tried to walk away, except Yan An was still holding onto his wrist.

“Wait,” said Yan An, and he watched Changgu stop. “Stay at home for the next fortnight. I want you to get stronger first, before you go back to the clubs again.”

Changgu hesitated, and Yan An’s free tails straightened up. He knew that Changgu adored going to nightclubs to find his next victim, but at the same time, he’d spent the past two years watching him returning increasingly dejected with each visit—and look at how his last two attempts had gone! He knew that a fortnight wasn’t much of a deterrent, but it was the only thing he could suggest right now which could delay him from finding his Mr Right for just that bit longer. Then Changgu nodded, and Yan An relaxed as his tails drooped over the mattress again.

“OK,” he said, “I’ll stay.”

Yan An nodded and released Changgu’s wrist. When his flatmate walked out, however, he remained sitting on the bed; and when he heard the shower run much further down the flat, he buried his face in his tails.

Even though Changgu had said he’d stay, a part of Yan An had expected him to declare he was leaving at some point. He’d been prepared to wrestle Changgu away from his wardrobe and out of his room, and force him to sit on the sofa and argue with him. Instead, Changgu actually did stay in. If he ever left, Yan An went with him, and even then, it was to places like the nearby park, or the cinema, or karaoke, or just a stroll around the neighbourhood and see what came up. Usually, the last option ended with them sitting on a bench with Yan An’s head resting on Changgu’s shoulders while his tails wrapped his nearest arm. Sometimes, they played with each other’s hair. It was almost like a date, he thought.

It turned out that quite a few humans liked to walk around at night as well, and Yan An knew that Changgu eyed them all. If this was two years ago, Yan An was sure they would have spent ages arguing over who would be bitten, and who would be seduced. Now, he kept his eyes on Changgu, and frowned every time he saw him lick his lips.

“I never knew people liked to walk around at night,” said Yan An, nine days into the fortnight. He had to talk about it; he couldn’t stand Changgu’s body language anymore.

“Neither did I,” said Changgu. His head was turned to watch a teenaged couple, who were holding hands, pass them.

Yan An hooked a tail around Changgu’s elbow, and tugged the vampire closer to him. The move caught Changgu’s attention, and when he turned around, Yan An could see there was nothing fiery in his eyes. There wasn’t any passion to bite anyone here. He looked normal.

“They’re different to all the people in the clubs, right?”

“Definitely,” said Changgu, grinning. “They look harder to seduce.”

“It could be a challenge for you. Better than going to the clubs, right?” Yan An grinned, and Changgu just hummed.

There were a few nights where Hwitaek and Shinwon came over to theirs. Yan An liked having them over, but he would have appreciated it if he didn’t have to watch them kiss each other every other minute. Why did they have to be so clingy as well; would it really hurt them if they were apart for just one second? Sometimes, either one of them would say something that only they found funny, or give a look that set the other off—and that spurred Yan An into making Changgu laugh, so that his booming laugh drowned out Hwitaek and Shinwon’s.

When the fortnight drew to a close, Yan An began looking for an excuse to make Changgu stay away for longer. Every idea he came up with seemed lame, though; and when he saw Changgu already picking out clothes from his wardrobe, Yan An didn’t have the heart to stop him. Instead, when he walked into his room, he said—

“I’m coming with you, Changgu-ya.”

Changgu dropped the jacket he was holding to look at him.

“You’re coming?” he repeated.

“I’m worried you’re going to hurt yourself again.” Yan An flashed a smile. “Anyway, I haven’t been clubbing with you properly in ages.”

He watched Changgu swallow and lick his lips. Yan An wondered if he was opposed to the idea, and for a second, he wondered if he should have tried to dissuade him instead.

“OK,” said Changgu. A small smile appeared on his face. “I’d like that.”

Yan An didn’t ask where they were going, although he was hardly surprised when they turned up to Prism. As they went through the main entrance, they came face-to-face with Jinho. The latter halted when he saw them, and Yan An stepped aside to let him pass. He looked ahead again as he continued walking, and then Yan An noticed the girl following him. She was pale, shivering, and _translucent_. One of Jinho’s strings had formed a handcuff binding her to him, but the string continued to trail off from her wrist and the end seemed to thin out into nothing.

The club was already crowded when they entered, and the music seemed to thump louder than usual. They squeezed their way past to the bar, where they saw Shinwon standing in front of Hwitaek, who was seated and had a half-drunk glass in his hand. Of course, he was bound to be there; maybe it was because Changgu was the one who’d converted Hwitaek all those centuries ago, or maybe it was because they were exes, but the two of them had a synergy that Yan An found increasingly difficult to ignore. They just always seemed to appear at the same place at the same time.

“—just let me finish this,” Hwitaek was saying, “and then I’ll—Changgu? Yan An?”

Shinwon turned around, and his eyes lit up when he saw Changgu.

“Changgu-ya,” he said, “please tell me you’re up for a dance.”

“When do I ever say no?” said Changgu. He looked at Hwitaek. “Hope you don’t mind if I steal your boy for a bit.”

Hwitaek laughed. “Go ahead. This grandpa needs their drink.”

“Hey, I’m not that much older than you.”

Hwitaek chuckled. Yan An watched Shinwon drag Changgu away with him onto the dance floor, and he kept his eyes on them until they had blended into the crowds.

“You’re not going with them?” said Hwitaek.

“No,” said Yan An, as he sat down. “I hope we didn’t come at a bad time.”

Hwitaek shook his head. “Your timing couldn’t have been better. So how come _you’re_ here?”

“I’m making sure Changgu-ya doesn’t get into trouble.”

“That’s a good idea. Can I get you anything?”

Yan An shook his head. He draped his tails over his torso.

“There’s something I don’t get,” said Yan An. “Changgu used to be really good at biting humans. Why’s he been struggling recently?”

“He’s not into it anymore,” said Hwitaek. “There’s no soul in his eyes whenever he tries to seduce someone. People will dance with him, but nothing’s going further because he’s not charming.”

“It’s been like this for two years, hasn’t it?”

Hwitaek nodded. “I’ve been wondering why he keeps coming back.”

“Have you tried asking him?”

“There’s no point. He’ll never open up about it. I suspect he’s doing it to impress someone.”

Yan An’s tails stuck up, and he noticed Hwitaek’s eyes darting between each one, like he was counting whether all nine were alert.

“How can you be sure?”

Hwitaek hummed as he swirled his glass. “Vampires are kind of weird, when you think about it,” he said. “We feast on humans, but when we actually fall in love with someone, the desire vanishes.”

“I take it Shinwon was the last person you bit?”

Hwitaek nodded. “Things were patchy at first. Shinwon-ie was struggling, and I really thought we were going to split up. I tried to bite another human, but I couldn’t do it. My body just wouldn’t do it. That was when I really knew that I had to have him, I had to keep us going.”

Yan An sighed, now that he understood where Hwitaek was coming from.

“He’s so stupid sometimes,” he said.

Hwitaek laughed knowingly. “I don’t suppose you know who Changgu’s trying to impress?”

Yan An shook his head, unwilling to say anything in case it came out wrong. His mind was racing. Nobody knew about his and Changgu’s real relationship. Even they didn’t acknowledge it verbally; it was just something that they understood on instinct.

“You finished your drink yet?” came Shinwon’s voice from behind them.

Yan An jumped as he watched as Shinwon came up to Hwitaek, and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek.

“I thought you were having fun with Changgu,” said Hwitaek, as he put his glass down.

“Yeah, but he’s with some other guy now,” said Shinwon. “Now, am I going to get a dance out of you before we leave, Hwitaek-ie?”

Yan An stretched his legs and his feet touched the ground. “I’ll find Changgu-ya,” he said. “You go and enjoy yourself.”

Hwitaek smiled as he let Shinwon lift him out of his seat. Yan An remained at the bar until he’d watched the two of them disappear into the crowd, and then he went off in the direction Shinwon had originally led Changgu through.

Yan An kept his tails pressed up to his back as he weaved his way through the crowds. He found Changgu close to the middle of the dance floor, grinding up against a guy in a flimsy tank top that showed off his arms, and tight leather pants. Yan An took one look at the stranger’s face, and all his tails stuck up on end as he puffed out his chest. What the hell was the stranger doing here? He should be standing behind Changgu—he should be the one feeling his body swaying and brushing up against him—how dare this stranger enjoy himself like that?

Yan An marched up to Changgu. As he approached, the latter caught his eye. His glare was initially lifeless, just like how Hwitaek had described him, but a second later a spark flared up and he smiled, now looking exactly like the Changgu that Yan An was used to seeing around the flat.

“Hey,” said Changgu. His smile faltered when he noticed the tails.

Yan An didn’t respond. He used one tail to push Changgu away, and two more to shove the stranger back, before he positioned himself in-between them both. Some of the surrounding clubbers stared at them, while others began to back away.

“What the hell—?” the stranger started. Yan An hooked a tail around his leg and pulled, unbalancing him enough that he landed hard on his bottom first. A few yells sprung up around them as people began to clear the area. “You—”

“Fuck off,” said Yan An. He bared his teeth, and then laughed as he watched the clubber failing to stand up as he wriggled away from them. There was so much fear in his eyes that Yan An was tempted, for a moment, to chase after him and smack him with a few more tails—until he felt Changgu grab his arm, and he spun around.

“What’re you doing?” All the friendliness in Changgu’s eyes had been replaced with confusion.

“We’re going,” said Yan An.

“We’re not—”

Yan An curled his tails around his arms, and led him out of the club without looking behind him. There were times when he felt Changgu digging his heels into the ground, but Yan An’s tails were wound tight enough that he had to keep moving. He kept marching down empty streets, until he found an alleyway that was far enough from Prism, and he released Changgu by throwing him against the wall and pressing his hands on either side of his head, just above his shoulders. All his tails returned to sticking up, alert.

“What was that—” said Changgu.

“Why do you keep doing this?” said Yan An.

Changgu flinched, but then the steely glare returned. “I shouldn’t have let you come,” he said.

“Why do you keep going?”

“I like it.”

“You don’t. I know you don’t. Not anymore.”

Changgu opened his mouth, but nothing came out for a while. Then he said, “I’m such a failure.”

“We’ve been over this—”

“I look pathetic next to you.”

Yan An fell silent as his eyes widened. Changgu buried his face in his hands.

“You’re so amazing and beautiful, and your powers are _incredible_ , and I’m this vampire who can’t seduce anyone anymore. How am I meant to be good enough for you if I can’t even function as a vampire?”

Yan An snorted as he threw his hands up into the air. For someone who was almost two and a half centuries old, he really could be an idiot sometimes.

“See?” said Changgu. “You’re—”

“I didn’t use my powers last time.”

Changgu dropped his hands by his side. His eyes were darting back and forth, just slightly, as Yan An could tell he was taking in the revelation.

“What?” said Changgu. His mouth remained open.

“You kissed me because you wanted to.”

Yan An didn’t dare breathe as he watched Changgu’s face redden. He noticed Changgu take a small sidestep towards the entrance, and he instantly wrapped a tail around his wrist to stop him.

“You really didn’t…?” Changgu began, before he trailed off.

“It felt different because you weren’t bewitched.”

“Yan An-ie…”

“I could go and sleep with every single person in Prism right now, and it wouldn’t feel anything close to how I felt that night, with you.” Yan An took a step closer. “I don’t want to seduce another human again. You’ve always been good enough for me.”

He stepped in even closer, his glare never leaving Changgu’s face. This was the Changgu he wanted; his friend who never thought twice about laughing with other people, even if he had no idea what started it. He wanted the Changgu who went all shy and giggly in disbelief that his voice had cracked during karaoke, during a song that he’d been singing since it was first released in the 90s. He needed the Changgu who’d lived as a human so many years ago, long before a vampire claimed him.

“I can’t bring myself to bewitch you again,” continued Yan An. He was close enough to feel Changgu breathing, to see each individual eyelash and how well they complimented the shape of his eyes. “I know it’s selfish, but I want you to see _me_. Give me a chance, Changgu-ya.”

Changgu frowned. “What’re you talking about?”

“What?”

“I’ve always seen you.”

Yan An’s mouth fell open as he released Changgu’s wrist, and he let all his tails droop towards the ground. In the few seconds it took for him to regain his ability to speak, Changgu remained on the spot, still looking at him.

“What?” said Yan An. “You—you’ve always seen _me_? Every time? For the last two years?”

Changgu nodded. Yan An felt his tails quiver, and his lips twitched into a smile.

“My powers fool you into thinking—you see whatever—what you find attractive, what _you_ love—” Yan An fell silent. He had solid proof that Changgu truly loved him—and it was the answer to the one question he’d been too scared to ask all along! If only he’d spoken up earlier, or explained earlier how his powers worked! He looked down at Changgu’s parted lips—and he shut his eyes as he kissed him.

Yan An gasped when he felt Changgu’s arms around his waist, pulling him in even closer, and then Changgu’s tongue started to explore his mouth as their kiss deepened. All of Yan An’s tails tingled as the realisation settled, slowly, that Changgu wanted him. He was kissing him back. He was holding him. He wanted him.

Yan An pulled back first; and when he saw Changgu smiling at him, any remaining doubt in his mind vanished.

“I’ve always been good enough for you,” Changgu said, although it sounded more like a realisation on his part. Yan An placed his hands on his shoulders to ease him away from the wall, and cocooned him in all his tails before pulling him close to properly kiss him again.

There were many things to love about Changgu. Yan An loved the euphoria that ran through his body with each kiss. He loved how warm and familiar Changgu felt in his tails and arms, and the shape of his lips on his. He loved how every part of Changgu just seemed to fit his body, no matter how he held him, or how they kissed. What he loved the most was that Changgu loved him back; they were good enough for each other.


End file.
